- Title: Iraqi special forces target village near Mosul
- Date: 12th November 2016
- Summary: QABR AL ABED VILLAGE, NEAR HAMMAM AL-ALIL, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 11, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SOLDIER FIRING HEAVY ARTILLERY FROM TANK VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS FIRING MACHINE GUNS (SOUNDBTIE) (Arabic) SOLDIER, MUNIR ABDELWAHED, SAYING: "We are targeting Islamic State militants, the rapid response team with support by the ninth regiment. God willing not much is left, we will capture it all. We want to give the people of Mosul the good news, soon we will liberate you all." SOLDIERS WALKING THROUGH RUBBLE OF DESTROYED BUILDING BODIES OF ISLAMIC STATE MILITANTS AMID RUBBLE OF DESTROYED BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SOLDIER, HASSAN LAZEM, SAYING: "These bodies belong to Daesh fighters, who were here wearing suicide belts. We hit them with an air strike and with BMB missile." VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS CELEBRATING IN THE STREET / ARMOURED VEHICLE NEARBY SOLDIER IN TANK PREPARING TO MOVE FORWARD ARMOURED VEHICLE DRIVING DOWN ROAD VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS SITTING AROUND FIRE SUNSET
- Embargoed: 27th November 2016 07:23
- Keywords: Iraq Mosul fighting Islamic State
- Location: QABR AL ABED VILLAGE, NEAR HAMMAM AL-ALIL, IRAQ
- City: QABR AL ABED VILLAGE, NEAR HAMMAM AL-ALIL, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0015850H8N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
Iraqi armed forces targeted Islamic state militants in the Qaber Al Abed village, near Hammam Al-Alil on Friday (November 11) as part of a wider operation to recapture Mosul from Islamic State.
The rapid response unit fired heavy artillery and machine guns towards militants thought to still be in the area.
"We are targeting Islamic State militants, the rapid response team with support by the ninth regiment. God willing not much is left, we will capture it all. We want to give the people of Mosul the good news, soon we will liberate you all," said Munir Abdelwahed, a soldier.
The rapid response unit also found bodies of militants that had been killed by coalition air strikes.
"These bodies belong to Daesh fighters, who were here wearing suicide belts. We hit them with an air strike and with BMB missile," said Hassan Lazem, a soldier in the unit, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
The operation to retake Mosul, involving a 100,000-strong alliance of troops, security forces, Kurdish peshmerga and Shi'ite Muslim militias and backed by U.S.-led air strikes, has entered its fourth week but has so far gained just a small foothold in the city.
Islamic State fighters have executed scores more people around Mosul this week and are reportedly stockpiling ammonia and sulphur in civilian areas, possibly for use as chemical weapons, U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday.
A mass grave with over 100 bodies found in the nearby town of Hammam al-Alil was one of several Islamic State killing grounds, Shamdasani said, citing information gleaned from sources on the ground including a man who played dead during a mass execution. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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